SPCHNA Spring Newsletter
3/20/20
Dear SPCHNA Members,
Every spring and fall, the President of the board sends out a newsletter to all its members. As the President of SPCHNA, I now sit down to write a newsletter at a very trying time in this country. So many changes and there continue to be changes, on a daily basis to our campuses, work and families.
College Health has really been rocked within these last 2 weeks. Along the way, the ACHA, CDC, state health laboratories and our local health departments have been there to help provide guidance. Many Colleges/Universities have closed their doors and sent most of their student’s home to reduce the spread of COVID 19. Student Health Centers have changed their polices and are now requiring all students’ to be screened by phone, prior to coming in for an appointment, and many have locked their doors to prevent community spread of the virus. Other College Health Centers are now practicing telemedicine. West Chester Universities Student Health Center, my workplace, is working with a skeleton crew and alternating staff on a weekly basis. Moreover, none of us knows how this will all play out.
The landscape of College Health and campus life has changed traumatically.
Due to the Public Health emergency, the spring SPCHNA conference that was scheduled to be at Bucknell has been cancelled. A lot of hard work has already gone into the planning and preparation for this conference, but it will not be wasted. The plan is to move this conference to spring of 2021. At this point, universities do not want large crowds gathering for any reason. In addition, unfortunately, the ACHA 100th year celebration scheduled for May has been cancelled. We just do not know when this crisis will be over and for everyone’s safety; we must comply with social distancing.
The board has purchased Zoom and with that, we can have video conferencing, meetings, webinars, and on-line gatherings for any reason. The board will be meeting next week to discuss this further. We are even thinking of having “Tea-Time for Members”. It is in the planning stages, but we were thinking of inviting members to join the Zoom Gathering just so we can check in with each other and share ideas, thoughts, feelings with one another.
Emails will be sent soon regarding voting for the next VP and Treasurer of the board. This has usually taken place at the spring meeting, but it will be online so be on the lookout for the ballots. Get your votes in as soon as you get the ballot please, deadline for voting May 1.
These are trying times and changes are happening daily. Please keep safe! Enjoy time with your families but above all else, take care of yourself.
Sincerely,
Lenore M. Joyce, RN
SPCHNA President